Wondering when Thanksgiving arrives in 2025 or curious about its origins? Though Halloween has just passed, it’s too soon to dive into winter festivities — November still brings one of America’s most cherished holidays, Thanksgiving.
In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November. In 2025, that date falls on Thursday, November 27. While the celebration happens late in the month, stores often feature themed decorations and seasonal food weeks in advance.
According to tradition, Thanksgiving traces its origins to a 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth, when English pilgrims and the Wampanoag people shared a meal marking a successful harvest. This gathering is widely regarded as the first Thanksgiving, symbolizing unity and gratitude.
“Many believe that Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast when the pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people shared a feast to celebrate the successful harvest season.”
Over time, Thanksgiving has evolved into a national day of appreciation. It’s widely recognized as a time for family and friends to gather, express gratitude, and mark the informal start of the winter holiday season. While deeply rooted in American history, variations of harvest and thanksgiving festivals exist in other countries as well.
Although Thanksgiving remains primarily an American holiday, nations such as Canada, Liberia, and parts of the Caribbean hold their own forms of thanksgiving or harvest celebrations, sharing the universal themes of gratitude and abundance.
Author’s summary: Thanksgiving 2025, celebrated on November 27, continues the centuries-old American tradition of gratitude, harvest, and togetherness that began in 1621.